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End-to-End Application Monitoring
Avantra usually performs management and monitoring locally on the Systems. But there is also an option to monitor SAP Systems and, for example, web servers from a user perspective.
So-called End Points can be defined on any physical server that has the Avantra Agent installed, allowing system monitoring, availability and performance recording from a user perspective (even from remote sites).
In contrast to some other system management products, and in order to keep things really simple, you should not define End Points on End-User PCs, but have a single Physical Server with Avantra Agent installed on every remote site. There is no SAP GUI or web browser instrumentation with Avantra.
Expression Editor
The majority of the configuration options within Avantra are sort of key-value pairs, i.e. there is a parameter (like a Monitoring Parameter) that is allowed to have a certain set of values, e.g. numbers or strings, assigned.
However, some parameters are allowed to have more complex values which we call expressions.
An expression (in a programming language) is a combination of explicit values, constants, variables, operators, and functions that are interpreted according to the particular rules of precedence and of association for a particular programming language, which computes and then produces (returns, in a stateful environment) another value. This process, like for mathematical expressions, is called evaluation. The value can be of various types, such as numerical, string, and logical.
You can think of expressions as Boolean or Regular Expressions. In order to support you while building this kind of expressions, Avantra features the Expression Editor. The Expression Editor will be used, for instance, during the definition of the LogAdapterCustomCheck, and during the definition of Filters for use within the Notification process.
In some places the expression allows you to use Macros that will be replaced with real-life data at runtime.
Basically, the Expression Editor provides content assistance available with the keyboard Ctrl-Space shortcut. Furthermore, it provides a syntax checker to tell you immediately if you have entered a valid expression.
Externally Managed Checks
Externally Managed Checks are Checks within Avantra that have their Check Result pushed from an external source by means of the Web Service.
There are two different incarnations of Externally Managed Checks: External Status and External Event. An External Status is created once and must be updated periodically, at least every 90 minutes. An External Event is created once and lives within Avantra for a period of time defined during its creation (by default 60 minutes). It is removed automatically afterwards.
Like usual Checks, Externally Managed Checks can be used within the Notifications.